Book-back.



W. H. EDWARDS.

BooK BACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, |912- Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

narra sfrars arena tiraron.

'WILLIAM H. EDWARDS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

BOOK-BACK.

rename.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that L WILLIAM H. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented a new and useful Book-Back,l of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to book backs employed on loose leaf binders inparticular but may be used on any style of book and the objects of myimprovements are rst. to form a protection for the back edges of theleaves and present a finished appearance to the book; second. to make aback which will automatically adjust itself to the size of thek book;third, to provide a resilient back which will automatically slide along'the covers when the covers are opened and closed; fourth, to formpockets in the covers into which the resilient back slides; fifth, tomake the back resilient by means of attaching resilient spring stripsthereto; sixth, to make a cheap, efficient and durable book back andother` features to become apparent from the description to follow.

This back while it may be used yin connection with solidly bound booksisA especially designed for use on loose leaf books in which flexible.leaf holding` strips 10 are employed. The back is made of flexiblematerial and has its ends loosely extending into pockets or cavitiesformed in the covers, always retaining,` its position close to the backedges of the leaves.

To describe my invention so that others versed in the art to which itpertains can make and use the same I have illustrated it A on theaccompanying sheet of drawing forming a part of this specification inwhich:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a book provided with a backembodyingr my invention; Fig. 2. is a sectional view taken on line 2-2of Fig. 1; Fig". 3, is a similar view with the book in an open positionand showing the flexible leaf-holding strips l0; and Fig. 4;, is a crosssection through the back removed from the book at right angles to thesection in Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

This invention comprises a back which is resilient Aand may be made ofany desirable Specification of Letters Patent.v

Application filed March 4, 1912. Serial No.681,579.

material.- f it is made of flexible material 1t must be reinforced bysome resilient material such as thin metallic springs or wires, runningtransversely across it substantially parallel to the top and bottomedges of the covers. |These may be embedded in the material of which theback is made so as to be entirely hidden from view. I preferably havepockets provided in the covers into which the ends of the back freelyslide` so that the ends of the back within the pockets are entirelyhidden from view, but anv other suitable receiving device may beconstructed to havethe'ends of the lback slide into without departingfrom the scope of mv invention. lf preferred one end of the resilientback may be secured to one cover or the one end of theback may forni oneof the covers. The back being resilient cannot be bent easily andas thecovers are moved from a closed position to an yopen position the ends ofthe backwill slide into the pockets in the covers without the assistanceof any other mechanism whatsoever. Thus a very cheap and simpleconstruction is afforded.

rllhe covers 5 are preferably made of stift1 material and are providedwith the pockets or internal recesses 6 which are open on the bindingedge of the covers and into which theends of the back 7 freely slide.The back 7 may be made of fancy leather and be rendered resilient in onedirection by the introduction of flat preferably metallic spring` bands8 clearly seen in Fig'. l.

When ithe book is complete with the binding edges of the covers 5secured in any desired manner to the binding edges of the leaves 9, itis closed as seen in Figs. l and 2 and the back 7 is bent by hand overthe back of the book and its ends are slipped into the pockets 6. 'Vhenthe covers are opened to the position shown in Fig. 3 the distancebetween the bindingedges of the covers is slightly decreased and theends of the back 7, contained in the pockets 6 movingwith the covers,are brought into sub stantially the same plane, and the said back 7being resilient will tend to lie in a fiat position and thus push itsends into the pockets 6. Of course, the back 7 is free to be pulled outfrom the pockets 6 whenever the covers 5 are substantially in a closedor parallel position as seen in F igs. l and 2.

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Having thus fully described my invention what I 'claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

l. In a device of the class described, av pair of covers and a flexibleback reinforced by resilient strips running transversely across it andslidable on the covers.

2. In a device of the class described, a

pair of covers and a flexible back having resilient strips enibeddedinyit substantially parallel to its top and bottom edges' and slidable onthe covers.V

3; In 4a book, a cover and a flexible back having" resilient stripsrunning transversely across 1t, arranged to slide' alongon said cover..

l. In a book, a cover provided with a and a flexible back reinforced byresilient strips running transversely across it,"ex tending into andguided by said guides on the covers so that the back will adjust itselfautomatically to the thickness of the book without connection of anyother VAmeans' thereto. y

7. In a book a pair of covers each provided with a pocket and a liexibleback reinforced by resilient strips running trans- (topics o! thispatent may be obtained for versely across it, the ends of the said backarranged to slide back and forth freely in said pockets. y

8. In a book, swinging covers one of which has guide, yand a flexibleback having a transverse resilient strip carried by one cover andadapted to be slid into and out of the guide in the other cover in theclosed position of the book.

9. Ina device Vof the class described, a flexible backvv having atransverse resilient strip tending to straighten the back into a'yplane..w

1'0.l In a book, swinging covers one of which has -afguide, and aresilient back carried by onefcover and slfidably held. in the n guidein the other 'cover` y 1l. In a book, swinging covers one of which has aguide, and a resilient back carried by one cover and slidably held inthe guide .in the other cover, and in thev closed )osition of the coversfrictionall eno'afrino,

l v a a e vo said guide by the resilient pressure of the back thereon toprevent accidental detachment of the back.

12. VIn a loose-leaf binder having. flexible leaf-holdin strios swininoV covers one of' which has a guide, and a resilient Vback carried byone cover andr slidably held in the guide in the other cover.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication inpresence of two subscribing witnesses this 6th day of June, 1911,-atGrand Rapids, Michigan.

WTILLIAIYI H. EDWARDS.

Witnesses: l

G7. WV. DE LAND, HENRY A. SCHNIL.

ve cents each; by Vaddressing the YCommissioner of Patents, Washington,D. G. Y Y

